Havana: Venezuela rejects the presence of seven new US military bases in South America masked by the anti-drug drive, said Venezuelan Ambassador to Havana, Ronald Blanco.

Blanco said they threaten integration and cooperation among our peoples, stability and peace, create distress and generate tensions. He reminded that programs like Plan Colombia led to increasing kidnappings and homicide rates.

Venezuela respects self-determination of peoples and decisions assumed by peoples, but when they affect their own self-determination and that of the South American community, he explained, it is important to reject such interventionist policy.

"We ratify our efforts to maintain and build a stable and harmonic relationship with Colombia, we do not agree with the United States strategy that aims to divide and separate us," he said.

It is necessary to lay out cooperation agreements of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of our America (ALBA) and in UNASUR (South American Union of Nations) as well as all those that help to improve health, education and development possibilities in culture and sports, he concluded.